The Cowboy Trail near Norfolk is part of this year's Great Park Pursuit

Get ready for a new outdoor adventure: the 2019 Great Park Pursuit challenge has begun!

In this fun adventure, teams can visit up to 20 sites between May 1 and September 16, 2019, exploring Nebraska parks across the state and potentially winning prizes for it. Players follow clues to a post hidden somewhere on the park property, and submit proof they were there to earn entries into prize drawings. This year’s prizes include an iPad, Nebraskaland Magazine subscriptions and calendars, state park cabin stays, backyard game packages, and a grand prize with a retail value of $1,500.

The goal of the Great Park Pursuit, a partnership between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Recreation and Park Association (NeRPA), is to promote active lifestyles while increasing awareness of the state’s nature-rich outdoor recreation opportunities.

"Youth today spend an average of six to nine hours a day in front of a screen. The beauty of the Great Park Pursuit program is that it utilizes park systems across the state that provide the opportunity to explore, enjoy nature and inspire participants to increase their time outside," said NeRPA Recreation Manager Tracy Stratman. “It’s a completely free program that encourages a healthy lifestyle.”

With the addition of the Great Park Pursuit app, it’s fast and easy to mark your visits at a park site. Your experience may not be 100 percent screen free, but it only takes a moment or two to log in your visit, leaving you more time to enjoy the park experience.

The official park sites for 2019 include well-known parks such as Branched Oak State Recreation Area and Schramm Park State Recreation Area, as well as some hidden gems. Check out Nebraska’s longest rails-to-trails project and snap photos of the 1967 Union Pacific Railroad caboose at Caboose Park in Hershey. Enjoy some archery, mature shade trees and playground equipment with a vintage design at Milford South Park, and go fishing and kayaking at Valentine Mill Pond. 

The Great Park Pursuit is sponsored by the Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association, the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources Department, and many others.

Participation in the program is free; only a park entry permit is required to enter state park areas. Learn more and sign up at negpp.org.